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9/11 Health


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Research Videos

Cancer Incidence in World Trade Center Rescue and Recovery Workers by Race and Ethnicity

In a recent Registry study examining cancer incidence among World Trade Center exposed rescue and recovery workers, significant variations in cancer rates were observed across different racial and ethnic groups, reflecting broader trends seen in the general population of New York State.

Migraine, Tension and Cluster Headaches and Their Link to 9/11 Exposure

Tension headache is the most common form of headaches, especially among women. A cluster headache may occur every day for a week or more. These headaches are most common in young men in their twenties, but women and children may also experience cluster headaches. Migraine headaches are a severe form of headache that may include other symptoms like disturbed vision and vomiting. Migraines can lasts between four and 72 hours.

Cognitive Impairment and Exposure to the 9/11 Disaster

Nearly 20 years later, researchers have documented the increasing risk concerning cognitive dysfunction resembling typical features of neurodegenerative diseases. This risk has been associated with both physical exposures at the WTC and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder including regularly re-experiencing their traumatic memories of the events. Despite these advances, little is understood about long-term effects of these physical and mental exposures on the brain health of WTC-affected individuals, and the potential for organic neurological disease, including Alzheimer’s.

The WTC Health Registry: 20 Years in 145 Seconds

The World Trade Health Registry is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. To commemorate this milestone, this 145-second video highlights some of the work done and activities conducted by the Registry over the past two decades. It also gives a glimpse into the impact the Registry's work has done to influence policy-making and as it continues its mission to understand better the long-term physical and mental health effects of 9/11.

Air Pollution, Asthma Control and Quality of Life among 9/11-exposed Individuals

Based on Registry research examined the relationship between air pollution and asthma control and how asthma control relates to the person’s perceived well-being. Our study suggests that reducing air pollution exposure may improve the health of World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees with asthma.

Poor Asthma Control

A 2019 study conducted by the World Trade Center Health Registry found a link between mental health conditions and poor asthma control for enrollees who were exposed to the World Trade Center disaster.

Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

According to a 2019 study, systemic autoimmune diseases (SAID) — including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyositis and scleroderma — are an emerging health concern among people exposed to the dust cloud created after the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster.

9/11 Exposure and Sleep Apnea

According to a 2014 study, people who were at the site of the World Trade Center disaster were more likely to develop severe sleep apnea. Another study found that people with common 9/11-related health conditions — such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic rhinosinusitis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — were more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea.

Remembering 9/11: 20th Anniversary Virtual Town Hall Highlights

The 20th anniversary town hall featured the ongoing work of the NYC Health Department's World Trade Center Health Registry since 2002. The townhall focuses on main findings, lessons learned, emerging conditions and with the Health Department's Commissioner, Dave A. Chokshi, addressing the Registry's progress over the years.

Victim Compensation Fund

You May Be Eligible for Compensation from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. You or a loved one may be eligible for healthcare and/or 9/11 compensation or financial assistance. Click her to find out.

15 Years Later: The Long-Term Physical and Emotional Effects of Persons Injured on 9/11

Fifteen years after the disaster, the World Trade Center Health Registry conducted a health and quality of life survey assessing physical and mental health status among enrollees who reported sustaining an injury on 9/11 compared with those who did not.

Persistent Health Effects

A World Trade Center Health Registry study found that nearly 50% of the participants reported having developed at least one physical or mental health condition after exposure to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Increased Risk of Early Retirement and Income Loss

A World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry study found that enrollees who had additional 9/11-realted health conditions were more likely to report early retirement. Those with a greater number of conditions were more likely to experience substantial income loss after retirement.

9/11-Related Adolescent Behavior and Adult Mental Health

Exposure to a traumatic event, such as 9/11, as a child can result in behavioral problems in adolescence and anxiety and depression later on in adulthood. This World Trade Center Health Registry study looks at 9/11-related adolescent behavior and adult mental health.

World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollee Story: Manuel

Manuel Caguana is just one of thousands of people who suffer from 9/11- related health conditions. Depression and anxiety were ruining his life. Because the Registry reached out with Spanish speaking staff members, Manuel got the help he needed. Watch the video (in Spanish).

Higher Risk of Stroke and PTSD

A World Trade Center Health Registry study found that PTSD and intense dust cloud exposure were each independently associated with an elevated risk of stroke. Certain groups were as much as four times at a higher risk of a stroke.

Jay's Silent Symphony

Meet Jay Alan Zimmerman, a composer, a performer and a WTC Health Registry enrollee. Jay has also gone deaf. Hearing loss is one of the major health effects of 9/11 and there are many ways to deal with a condition that for some can be debilitating. However many survivors are unaware that other survivors are also experiencing this life-altering condition and have found ways to successfully deal with it. Overcoming the sense of isolation with their condition is paramount. Here is an inspiring story of one man’s ability to deal with the condition.

Meet Sade, a 9/11 Survivor

Sade is one of many people who survived the WTC attacks. Sade had asthma before 9/11, but now, it’s much worse. Asthma is one of the many illnesses directly related to exposure to the dust and debris in the aftermath of the attack. Hear her account of how it affected her health over the years, and read more about asthma hospitalizations among enrollees in the WTC Health Registry.

Treatment Referral

Are You Dealing with 9/11-Related Asthma, Anxiety, and Other Related Conditions? Learn more about how the Registry's Treatment Referral Program can help you get monitoring and treatment for 9/11-related health problems.

Binge Drinking a Decade After 9/11

Some people who directly experienced the September 11 attacks in NYC are still suffering from serious mental health problems, including PTSD and excessive alcohol consumption. Data from a 2015-2016 study conducted on over 28,000 WTC Registry enrollees over the age of 18 showed that 25% reported binge drinking in the past month. This is 1.5 times greater than the proportion of NYC adults reporting binge drinking. Of those who said they had engaged in binge drinking, more than one-third reported high intensity binge drinking which means they had more than eight drinks on one occasion. People with PTSD were two times more likely to binge drink with high intensity than to not binge drink at all compared to people without PTSD. In this study, certain groups were more likely to report high intensity binge drinking: People with PTSD, those who participated in rescue and recovery work, and those with 9/11-related injuries and other traumatic exposures. It is important therapy addresses both PTSD symptoms and excessive alcohol use. Policy strategies aimed at reducing access to and the consumption of alcohol are other ways to help reduce binge drinking. Improving access to treatment of PTSD and alcohol use will help people who binge drink and have PTSD lead happier and healthier lives.

Asthma Control in Adolescents 10 to 11 Years after Exposure to the World Trade Center Attacks

The collapse and burning of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11 exposed hundreds of thousands of people to a harmful mix of dust, debris, and jet fuel. The number of children attending school or living in lower Manhattan near the WTC on 9/11 is estimated to be 25,000. Many more were potentially in the path of the dust cloud.

Watch this video to learn more about the impact of the WTC disaster on the respiratory health of young people.

Substance Use in Adolescents 10 Years After the World Trade Center Terror Attacks

For some children, witnessing the event negatively impacted their behavior as they entered adolescence. They were twice as likely to report underage drinking and three times as likely to have ever used marijuana. Adolescents who feared for their safety on 9/11 were significantly more likely to use tobacco. However, there are ways to help these children. Intervention and education for these adolescents is essential, particularly focusing on substance use and essential coping strategies. These steps will help these young people deal with the emotional toll of 9/11.

Lessons from Interviews With 9/11 Survivors

Interviews with person injured on 9/11 found that even after the injury has healed, injured disaster survivors continue to have long-term health impacts from their experience. Some injured disaster survivors report having serious physical and mental health problems, economic problems due to loss of livelihood, limited sources of social support. A few survivors reported profound social isolation. Strategies for addressing the long-term health problems of disaster survivors are needed in order to support recovery.

Lower Respiratory Symptoms 10+ Years After 9/11

Many of our studies have found that people who were exposed to the 9/11 disaster have lower respiratory symptoms persisting five to six years after 9/11.

We wanted to investigate if Registry enrollees continue to experience the same symptoms ten or more years later.

These symptoms include:

Persistent Cough

Wheezing

Shortness of Breath

Watch Dr. Stephen Friedman discuss our latest findings on this subject.

Asthma Among Staten Island Fresh Landfill and Barge Workers

Airborne lung irritants at the World Trade Center site have been associated with new onset asthma among Ground Zero workers and community members. However, less is known about asthma associated with work at the Staten Island landfill or barges used to transport debris from the World Trade Center site to the landfill.

We conducted a survey of landfill and barge workers regarding their specific exposures.

Jobs involving sifting, digging, welding, and steel cutting, police or sanitation work, and enrollees with probable posttraumatic stress disorder all had increased odds rations for new-onset asthma.

Watch Dr. James Cone discuss our findings and recommendations.

NYC Health: Effect of Asthma and PTSD on Persistent and Late Onset of Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptoms (GERS)

Asthma and PTSD early after 9/11 were each associated with the persistence and late-onset of GERS. The combination of either condition with GERS was associated with substantial decrements in quality of life.

Successful treatment of asthma and PTSD may decrease the risk of GERS. Our findings emphasize the importance of providing coordinated health care for physical and psychological symptoms related to 9/11.

NYC Health: Comorbid PTSD and Depression Among WTC Survivors

To investigate the continuing mental health needs of those affected by the September 11 attacks in NYC, the Registry conducted a survey of nearly 30,000 enrollees. The goal of the study was to see how many enrollees had both PTSD and depression at the same time.

We discovered that over fifteen percent of those surveyed reported having PTSD, nearly fifteen percent experienced depression, and ten percent described suffering from both conditions.

As compared to individuals with either condition alone, those with PTSD and depression were more likely to report increased 9/11 exposures, and experienced poorer outcomes on measures of employment, social support, quality of life, and unmet health care need.

NYC Health: Increased Risk of Diabetes after 9/11 Exposure

Through long-term monitoring of persons exposed to the 9/11 disaster, we discovered that a range of health conditions are linked to the attacks and their aftermath, including an increased risk of diabetes.

We analyzed survey responses from over 36,000 members of the Registry to understand the impact 9/11 had on diabetes among those suffering from 9/11-related posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. We focused on respondents who reported having diabetes for the first time after joining the Registry. Lower Manhattan residents, passers-by and rescue/recovery workers were included in the study.

Enrollees who had PTSD at the time they joined the Registry in 2003-2004 were 30 percent more likely to develop diabetes 6 to 8 years later than people without PTSD. This was true after controlling for factors such as age and body mass index.

One explanation for our findings is that chronic stress reactions caused by posttraumatic stress disorder can, over time, cause the body’s cells to become resistant to insulin, causing sugar to build up in the bloodstream. Another is that PTSD has been associated with unhealthy behaviors, including poor diet and physical inactivity, both of which may increase the risk of developing diabetes.

NYC Health: Link Between 9/11 Exposure, PTSD and Excessive Drinking

Other researchers have shown that having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with excessive drinking. Many of our Registry enrollees and other exposed persons developed PTSD after 9/11 and as a consequence may be drinking excessively. Excessive drinking increases a person’s risk of health problems like heart disease, liver disease and cancer as well as the risk of harming themselves or someone close to them.

We looked at the survey responses from about 41,000 Registry enrollees, to examine the relationship between PTSD, extent of exposure to the 9/11 disaster, and frequent binge drinking, which was defined as having five or more drinks on a single occasion on five or more days of the past month.

Of the 41,000 enrollees in this study, about one in five is currently suffering from PTSD. Roughly eight percent of enrollees in the study reported frequent binge drinking in the past month, which is slightly higher than what has been reported in NYC and national studies. The average number of binge drinking days in the last month was eleven.

Frequent binge drinking was reported by fifteen percent of those suffering from PTSD, and only six percent of those without PTSD. People with higher levels of exposure to the 9/11 disaster were more likely to report frequent binge drinking than people with lower exposures. We now have a better understanding of the impact of PTSD and different levels of 9/11 exposure on how often people engage in binge drinking.

9/11 Injury Increases Risk of Chronic Disease

Injury as a result of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, including, for instance, broken bones or burns, increased the risk of chronic disease 5-6 years after 9/11, according to a study of more than 14,000 enrollees who reported no previous diagnosis of heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer.
Enrollees who reported more than one injury—a group of nearly 2,000 people—were twice as likely to also report respiratory illness as those who were not injured. Enrollees with multiple injuries and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were three times more likely to report heart disease than those with no injuries and no PTSD.

New Registry Study Identifies Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Rescue/recovery workers who were highly exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster and people who developed WTC-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be hospitalized more often for cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from the WTC Health Registry published by the Journal of the American Heart Association .

Researchers linked data for 46,346 Registry enrollees living in New York State to a state hospital-discharge reporting system that records medical diagnoses. They found 1,151 heart disease (including hardening of the arteries and heart attack) and 284 stroke-related hospitalizations occurring in 2003-2010. Male rescue/recovery workers with high levels of WTC exposure were at 82% higher risk for heart disease hospitalization compared to those with low levels of exposure; women who had PTSD symptoms when they enrolled in the Registry faced a 32% higher risk compared to women without PTSD symptoms. Men with PTSD at enrollment were at a 53% higher risk of hospitalization due to stroke compared with men without PTSD.

Two earlier Registry studies based on self-reported cardiovascular disease diagnoses suggested a similar association. The Registry’s first mortality analysis also found an increase in heart-disease related mortality among lower Manhattan residents, area workers and passers-by with higher levels of WTC exposure.